Don't Do As The Romans Do?
by Axelrocks
Summary: Before Rome, Lizzie and Gordo become a couple. How will things pan out for them in the The Eternal City? AU. Characters are seniors in High School.


**So, here I am writing another Lizzie McGuire fanfic! :) This one will be a lot longer than my last one. There's also some BIG changes I need to point out. All the characters are older. They're seniors in high school. I did this for a few reasons. 1) I'm twenty-three, so it's easier for me to write this age than it is for fourteen year olds. 2) I find it a little odd that they went to Rome for their EIGHTH GRADE graduation. I didn't even anything like that for when I graduated high school. All the things that happened in the show happened during their junior and senior year (Except, I guess, the bra episode and any other episode that dealt with the beginning of puberty). I hope you all find the changes okay and you enjoy this story! :)**

 **I also apologize if this has been done many times before! It was just the perfect place to start! ;)**

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 **Chapter One- Clueless**

Ever since Jo McGuire had been six months pregnant with her daughter Elizabeth, she had a dream. A dream that involved her daughter and future nuptials.

Her best friend Roberta Gordon had just given birth to a son, David. He had been the cutest baby with bright blue eyes and dark, thick hair. "Roberta, I want our children to get married," she said one evening as she held David in her arms and felt Elizabeth kicking in her tummy. "I can already tell David is going to grow up to be a special young man."

"And your Elizabeth will be just as special."

"They'd be perfect," she cooed down at David, who smiled up at her.

"It goes against all my years of schooling, but I believe they would be, too. If your daughter is anything like you, Jo."

Lately, Jo had been extremely emotional and tears sprang to her eyes. "Thank you, Berta." With one arm, she pulled her friend close and together, they planned a future wedding that wouldn't happen for years to come.

 **Eighteen Years Later**

Jo McGuire, now a mother of two, and dressed like a maid (not because she really was one, though most days she sure felt like one) watched as her oldest child pulled her best friend out the front door and pulled it shut behind them. It had been quite an interesting night and when she didn't have to focus on perfecting her cockney accent, she was keeping an eye on those two. Whatever was brewing between them had been years in the making.

Now, it looked like they wanted some privacy and she would allow nothing to interrupt that.

Everyone had left. Matt was in his room and Sam was in the living room watching an episode of _Top Chef_. Any moment, he would get up to see if anyone would watch it with him and though, Jo didn't feel like sitting in front of the TV, she did. If it wasn't her, then Sam would look for Lizzie and Jo couldn't have that.

"So, what's the secret ingredient they have to use tonight, honey?" She asked and sat next to Sam.

"Don't know, yet." He turned to his still dressed up wife. "Hey, do you think Lizzie would want to watch?"

"No. I already asked," she lied and snuggled close to her husband. "It's just you and me."

 **Meanwhile Outside...**

"Congratulations, old chap," seventeen year old Lizzie McGuire said as she lightly punched her best friend in the shoulder.

"Yeah, you did really well, too." David Gordon, or just Gordo to Lizzie, said and glanced more at the ground than at her. This was an oddity for her normally confident best friend. Kate's talk came back to her. Did he really have a crush on her?

"Well, you were the one people were talking about. I mean, people noticed you." And for the first time, she had noticed him. _Really_ noticed him. Like more than a best friend should.

"Yeah. Well, I shouldn't care what people think. It's not that important." There was her old Gordo coming through. She couldn't help but smile.

"Well, you impressed me." He had.

"I did? Great! I mean, um," he said, gathering his composure. "You're my best friend. Why wouldn't I want to impress you?" It was obvious he was trying to play it cool. "And, and, you were impressive, too. You know with the... uh stuff."

Lizzie had her answer there. Gordo liked her. More than a friend. Normally, she'd reject that idea, but now she embraced it and found that it made her heart beat fast and stomach feel fluttery. "So, I impressed you and you impressed me. It's all good."

"All systems go." Gordo shuffled his feet a little and looked down, getting even more nervous than he had done before.

"You know, Lizzie, maybe sometime we could um, you know..."

"Maybe sometime we could what?" She helped him out, knowing deep down what he was going to ask and wanted him to spit it out already.

"Maybe we could...go out."

"Like hang out?" Lizzie knew she was being a little dense, but she wanted to hear him say the words so that there was no misunderstandings.

"Uh, n-no. Like a date." Gordo peeked up at her, then. (Well, more like down since he was a couple inches taller than her).

"Really?" She had expected and at the same time...didn't expect it.

"Uh, yeah. But forget it. We're friends. I should have known that. Obviously, you still have a thing for Ethan. Why would you host his party?" He ran a hand through his dark, curly hair. "I'm such an idi-"

"Gordo," she interrupted and reached for his hand. "I'd love to."

"Really?" Now it was his turn to make certain.

"Yeah, really." She smiled, hoping to ease the tension a little. Gordo relaxed and smiled back, the crooked smile she loved so much.

"Great! Uh, how about I pick you up at six tomorrow and we can have dinner and a movie." He looked so hopeful and excited. Lizzie forced tears from her eyes. Had a boy ever been this eager to go on a date with her? Not that she had many dates. There had been Ronnie and Frankie Muniz, but that was it. Ethan Craft, unfortunately, had taken up all her time when it came to boys and they had never gone on a date. And they never would.

"Sounds perfect."

"I can't believe we're going on a date, Lizzie." He grabbed both her hands in his and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm so happy."

"Me, too."

Gordo let her hands go and blushed a slight red. "Well, I, uh, will see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

"Great. Good night, Lizzie."

"Good night, Gordo."

With that, he finally walked to his car parked in the driveway. Lizzie tried not to giggle at the many times he turned to look back at her, a goofy smile on his face. However, she did laugh when he dropped his keys as he tried to unlock the door. He mock glared at her for that and waved goodbye when he drove off.

Lizzie walked into the house, then and nearly ran straight into her mom. "Gordo went home?" She asked.

"Yeah," Lizzie answered. "And I think I'm going to bed. Tonight was pretty exciting, wasn't it?" Giving her mom a quick hug, she bounded up the stairs to her room, eager to write the events of the night in her diary.

If she had looked back down the stairs, she would have seen her mom doing a little happy dance at the bottom.

Before Lizzie began writing in her diary, she wrote at the top ' _7 Days Until Prom', '12_ _Days Until Graduation'_ and ' _17 Days until ROME_ ', which she had done on every diary entry for the past month. Those were three things she most looked forward to. If only Miranda were there to gush about it with her...

Last week, her and her family had flown out to Mexico. One of her grandparents was not doing well and the Sanchez family had decided to stay down there until they recovered...or didn't.

At least she still had Gordo. But she had him in a different way. Tomorrow, they would be going on a date! Lizzie fiercely wrote down the events of the day on her diary pages with a smile. This was a night she never wanted to forget, so she made sure to put in as much detail as possible.

After four full pages of words, Lizzie got ready for bed and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

Gordo felt like he was on cloud nine as he drove the short distance to his house. Lizzie had actually said yes to going out with him! There wasn't a time that he could remember where he _hadn't_ had a crush on her, but had ignored it until the past year. Tonight, he had come to the party, hoping to impress Lizzie and win her from Ethan.

It had worked!

His parents were already in bed when he got home. Gordo went straight to his room to flop down on his bed. The goofy smile on his face hadn't left since the moment Lizzie had said yes.

Tomorrow could not come fast enough.

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 **Thanks you all for reading!**


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